Via Kenyans.co.ke
AU Envoy Raila Odinga’s wife Ida Odinga has recently hit the media over a succession battle with her daughter-in-law Lwam Bekele.
Reports by a popular newspaper revealed the genesis of the war over deceased Fidel Odinga’s multi-million estate.
According to the case’s court papers, Ida who ganged up with her daughter Winnie Odinga against Lwam accuse her of omitting several properties in the inventory of her late husband’s estate.
Ida also accused Lwam of denying her grandson the right to education by withdrawing the minor from formal education after she vacated their matrimonial home in Karen soon after Fidel’s burial in 2015.
“It is not in dispute that Ms.Bekele was the legally married wife to the late Fidel (sic) but we are worried that the child Fidel left behind may not be adequately provided for,” the affidavit by Ida and Winnie read in part.
The widow was further accused of deliberately and maliciously failing to give an accurate account of Fidel’s properties.
Ida explained that Lwam had also provided incomplete and nonexistent bank account details in an attempt not to be held accountable.
“The said grant was issued erroneously, as it unjustifiably locked out other interested parties from the estate of the deceased, his other children, his mother, and sister respectively.”
“The proposed administrators cannot be entrusted alone to faithfully administer according to the law the estate of the deceased and render a true and just account of such estate,” she stated.
Fidel’s multi-million estate comprises of his Karen home, three parcels of land, two Range Rovers, a Nissan Sunny and a Mercedes Benz, and seven bank accounts.
To this effort, Winnie and Ida want the court to nullify the letter of administration granted to the widow saying her intentions and actions are fraudulent and irregular and she misled the court that every person having an equal or prior right to the grant had consented.
This comes shortly after the High court ruled that a DNA test be conducted on the twins allegedly sired by Fidel and had not been listed as the dependants after it was brought up by Ida in the case.
The test was to be conducted to ascertain the paternity of the minors before proceeding with the succession case.
Ida’s move to court was to block Fidel’s widow Lwam, who had applied for a grant of representation to allow her to run the estate, after the death of her husband who had not left a will behind.
Lwam, however, dispelled the accusations insisting that the reason for the accusations and the succession dispute was due to her long-standing battles and strained relationship with her mother-in-law, Ida.
“The averments are preposterous, offensive and made in bad taste. Ida Odinga has the autopsy reports. I believe the statement she recorded with the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) following Fidel’s death informs her opinions and is the genesis of our differences,” she alleged.
